Croatia, Serbia enter diplomatic feud as they expel each other's diplomats

Serbia and Croatia each have expelled a diplomat from the other country, a move that further strains relations in the already charged Balkan region and between the two former wartime opponents.

As reported by the Balkan Insight, the Serbian Foreign Affairs Ministry announced on November 20 that the first secretary of the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade was proclaimed persona non grata for his alleged “gross stepping outside the framework of diplomatic norms” during his service.

Although the Serbian government did not disclose further information regarding the allegations against Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Snajder, Serbian media close to the government said he was accused of “spying activities” and the “recruiting” of people for Croatian secret services.

In a reciprocal move, Croatia expelled a Serbian diplomat the following day.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs linked Serbia's move to parliamentary polls that are due to be held in Belgrad next month.

According to the publication, the expulsion came after a period in which relations between the two countries, who were foes during the 1990s wars, had somewhat improved.

In June, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met his Serbian counterpart Ana Brnabic in Subotica in northern Serbia at the opening of a new building housing the headquarters of the Croatian National Council, the representative body of Croats in Serbia, the Hrvatska Rijec Croat-language newspaper publishing house and the Institute for the Culture of Vojvodina Croats.

This series of meetings came after an initiative by the leaders of Serbs in Croatia and Croats in Serbia, Milorad Pupovac and Tomislav Zigmanov, to build bridges between the two countries’ officials.